Destined: Emerald
by kiaronna
Summary: Emma was just an ordinary trainer. Then she finds herself being chased by Deoxys. Can she save herself, prevent Deoxys from getting what he wants, and affect the course of history? She can only hope to. I don't own Pokemon.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: As much as I like trainer stories, this is not a trainer story. It's pretty close to one, but the plot is different and the end is MUCH different. I'm also still working on how to type out battles, so if I've got problems with that, I'm sorry. Thanks so much for reading this, if you do. Please read, review, and enjoy!!_

* * *

Destined: Emerald

Emma raised the pokeball high above her head.

"I'm gonna be the best trainer EVER!!"

Her mother shook her head, smiling. "You'll have to work for it, dear."

"I've got a Treecko!"

"You still need to train it." Her mother smiled as Emma called out the pokemon.

"Go, Treecko!"

It came out, arms folded, looking cool and glorious.

"Come on, give me a hug!" She opened her arms, welcoming.

The Treecko rolled its eyes, and turned away.

"Hm..." Her mother looked worriedly at it.

"It's okay, it's probably just scared or something."

The Treecko looked insulted at being referred to as "scared".

"Are you going to nickname it?"

"Um... Sparkle?"

The Treecko prepared to run.

"Honey, it's a boy. Professor Birch told me."

"Oh... Well, then I guess I'll name it something like a plant..."

"That's a great idea!"

"How about... Tree? Treecko, shortened?"

"I think that's nice."

The Treecko apparently thought it was decent, for he smiled a tiny bit.

"Tree-cko. Cko."

"We're gonna travel the world together!" Emma squealed.

* * *

"Tree, use Leaf Blade!" Emma called. 

Roxanne smiled knowingly. "Harden, Nosepass!"

Tree was amazingly quick, however, and slammed his blade into the Nosepass before it could do anything.

"Now use Leer!" The Grovyle quickly obeyed.

"Nosepass, Rock Throw!" Roxanne called, hoping to stave Emma off. This girl was very good, and she was only hoping to try and stop the attack so she might have a chance to attack.

Tree began to dodge the hurled rocks, jumping left, right, and then dashing forward. But it wasn't enough as he was hit with a boulder almost as big as himself.

"Finish it off with Leaf Blade, again!" Emma called desperately. Though Leer had not gotten through, she hoped that this final attack would knock the Nosepass out.

The Nosepass was sent reeling backwards, falling to the dusty ground. It did not move.

Roxanne called it back with a flash of red light and sighed, then gave Emma a warm smile. "You've won. Very good job."

Emma smiled. "Thanks!" She cheered happily, running up to hug Tree, who simply allowed it. He seemed to like her more, her childish ways growing on him.

"Here is the badge." Roxanne handed over her gleaming badge.

"Thank you!" Emma took it.

"Go onward, Emma. Reach your goal." Roxanne nodded. "I look foward to seeing you reach the top!"

Emma giggled. "Okay!"

As she walked out, Roxanne looked after her. She kept her eyes on Emma the entire time, following her every move as she rushed out the door. Roxanne bit her lip, shaking her head. "Can't be."

* * *

Emma grinned at her Treecko, her eyes happy and bright. "Tree, we've just WON!!!" She leaned down and hugged him, squealing. She paused as Tree winced from several wounds. 

"I guess I'll just have to take you to the pokemon center..." She sighed, then brightened. "Do you want ice cream afterwards? Tree gave her a slightly smug grin, which she translated as, 'Yes!'

She nodded and headed off to the pokemon center.

Calling out her Beautifly that she had raised, and her Taillow, she walked towards the closest parlor, and ordered cones for all of her tired pokemon.

She was very proud of each one of them.

Her mother would be proud of her, too, she was sure. And her grandparents, most especially.

Her grandfather had been a great pokemon trainer back in his day. He had raised a well-rounded team and beaten the Elite Four when he was 14.

He had married her grandma and then had her mother.

Her grandmother had never been a trainer in her younger days, but lived near Sootopolis on an island that had been destroyed by a hurricane several years after her father was born.

She smiled warmly, thinking of what her grandparents would say when they learned that she already had her first badge.

Her Taillow, getting impatient, swooped the ice cream out of her hand, giving the other pokemon their share.

Emma smiled and led her pokemon onwards towards a grassy area above the city, where the flowers swayed softly in the wind and the grass was an emerald tinge of green.

She sat herself down in the meadow, then looked up at the blue sky.

It was a gorgeous day, the mood just right for her having defeated a Gym Leader. Everything was going great. She looked down and licked her cone, smiling warmly at her pokemon, who were enjoying the weather as much as she was. But as she stuck her tongue out for another lick, a shadow fell over the field.

Suddenly, gray clouds covered the sky. Looking up, surprised, she realized that she was the only one outside in this area.

"That's strange," she remarked to her pokemon. But they didn't respond. Looking upward into the sky again, she suddenly noticed something... What appeared to be a... Pokemon was floating up there.

It was small, but about the size of a human.

It looked down on her, and her eyes found themselves latched firmly onto its.

She felt herself slowly being drawn in.

Into a swirling pool of blackness.

But then, Tree nudged her leg. She snapped out of her trance. Suddenly, the clouds were gone, and she found herself standing in the sunlight.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter is pretty short, and though it seems like it's a typical trainer story, I promise that it's not! This is a story that has similarities to the Gameboy version, but a completely different plot._

_Also, I recommend my other story, Destined: Ruby, which Emma was in. Yep, it's the same person! Anyway, you don't need to read that story to understand this one, but if you want the full story of everything, I suggest it._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Here is chapter 2!!! Whee!! Thanks so much to all of my reviewers, who rock. I hope everybody reading enjoys this chapter, and thank you for going from chapter one to two! I hope it's good!! Please read, review, and enjoy!!_

Emerald

2

"Gaaaahhhhhh!!!!" Emma shook a fist at the cave in front of her. "Geez, how hard would it be to have an easy, cut through path to this cave?"

According to her brand-new map, the fastest way to the next town over was to go through this cave.

She recklessly danced through the entrance, followed warily by her Tree.

The cave was dark, and Emma certainly did NOT like the dark.

She let out a squeal as the Treecko rolled its eyes. "Treecko, how in the world are we ever going to get through this?"

"You can see, can't you?" A voice said calmly behind them.

Emma jumped several feet, then whirled around to greet the person.

It was a girl with blond hair pulled back in two braids on both sides of her head, with stunning blue eyes. A somewhat sulking boy about the same age as Emma (14, probably) stood behind her, arms crossed, face impatient, utterly silent. His deep red hair was mussed badly.

"Whismur Cave's not quite pitch black inside. There are much darker places."

"Well, yeah," Emma agreed nervously.

"Plus..." The girl let out a little breath of air. "You see, there was something like an earthquake earlier here, and... Well, some rocks fell down and blocked the path."

"They WHAT?!" Emma was now racing towards the middle, her starter waiting patiently for her to return. When she did, she was breathing hard and had a shocked expression.

Unknown to her, the girl's blue eyes were scanning her, then darting back to the boy beside her, then back to Emma again. Her eyes narrowed slightly in recognition as she stepped forward.

"We were just coming to Rustboro through this cave when the earthquake happened. We're originally from..." Her pause was unnoticed by Emma, but the boy beside her fidgeted nervously. "Lavaridge Town."

"Oh! My grandfather went there once. He told me the hot springs were wonderful!"

"Oh, yes. Very nice, really." But the girl's thoughts were on something else.

Emma gave a guilty start. "Wait, do you mean that you want to go back there, but can't because now you're trapped?"

"Yes..."

"That's horrible!" She gave an unhappy gasp, then whirled around. "Tree, attack the rocks in the way!"

He raised a nonexistent eyebrow, and just lazily swatted at one with his tail.

"Harder!!" Emma demanded.

"W-wait, it's okay!!" The girl gave a weak smile. "We can handle it ourselves. To go back home, we'll just... Er..."

Emma whipped out her map. "There's no other way to reach Lavaridge Town except if you know how to Surf." She paused, then stopped to give a grin to the girl. "Oh, by the way, my name's Emma. I guess I can try to help you if you want!! My grandpa's a great pokemon trainer, and I'm sure he'll fly you there or something. All we have to do is go back to my house."

The boy gave a soft grunt, then shook his head. "No way. We don't know who you are."

"I'm EMMA."

"I'm Deo," he responded back, sarcasm dripping off his voice.

"I'm Jira," the girl broke in, stopping what was soon to become an argument, or at least it would from the boy's point of view.

Emma grinned. "So, let's go to my house!"

"Thank you," Jira responded. She turned and began to walk towards the exit, the boy at her side, giving her a glance that easily said, 'What in the world are you DOING?'

She gave him a nudge with her shoulder, and he immediately glanced over his shoulder. His green eyes locked onto Emma's, and for a minute, she saw something in him... Something very strange. A soft purple glow, and then... Nothing.

She shook her head, and quickened, catching up to the two.

* * *

"So, are you two related?" Emma started a conversation for the millionth time.

"We're siblings," Jira responded. That's plainly what Jira did. She responded to questions, but she didn't seem to be able to do small talk.

As for Deo, he didn't talk at all.

The three were walking through the Petalburg Woods (which Emma thought were frankly very creepy, seeing as with the bugs and darkness and everything), heading for Littleroot.

As they turned a corner, and Emma saw a light that she believed to be the exit, she dashed forward, whooping delightedly.

She ran smack into what she guessed was a bird.

"What the heck?!" She exclaimed, jumping back, rubbing her nose. "Geez, what in the world-"

"Wing! Gull!"

Jira rushed forward, a pokeball in hand, as it occured to Emma that this girl was a pokemon trainer. But the Wingull let out another cry, at which she lowered the ball, hooking it silently back onto her belt. "Poor thing."

"What?"

Jira reached out a hand, and began to... To STROKE the bird pokemon. "This Wingull's lost, Emma," she murmured softly. "It doesn't mean anybody harm."

Emma began to gape. Just how did Jira know such a thing?

"Let's go, Sis," Deo said bluntly. The Wingull landed softly on her shoulder, and she gave them both a weak grin.

"I guess I'll take it to the beach. There's one nearby, right?"

"Yeah." Emma smiled. Although she had her doubts about Deo, she was sure that Jira was a good person. "We'll take it home."

The Wingull let out a cry as they exited the forest, then flew silently towards a house that Emma hadn't noticed before.

"Hey!" Emma yelled, and raced after it, followed closely by the others.

The Wingull then landed with a small 'thump!' on the shoulder of an old man. He glanced at the three as they all stopped to huff for breath.

"Youngsters... You brought my lost Peeko back to me." His old, but sharp eyes scanned all of them, his face then splitting into a 'grandfather' grin. "Why, thank you!"

"Uh... You're welcome."

"My name's Captain Briney, but I suppose you can just call me Mr. Briney now..."

"You're a retired sailor?!" Emma exclaimed. "Wow!!"

"And what are your names?" He asked, as Peeko began to circle his head.

"I'm Emma." Emma glanced towards the two others. As usual, Deo sat in stony silence, while Jira looked nervous to answer. "They're Jira and Deo."

"You look mighty familiar, girl." Mr. Briney looked at her face with a queer look. "What's your last name? Is it Reynolds?"

"Yeah, I'm Emma Reynolds!" She beamed. "How did you know?"

"I knew your grandfather." He turned, and Emma did not see the dark look on his face that lay there for several seconds. He then turned back with a bright smile. "Edward "Dragon" Reynolds."

"Yeah, that was him." Although her grandfather's real name was Edward, he had become such an accomplished dragon trainer that he was often called "Dragon" by his friends. Affectionately, of course. "You were friends?"

"Very good friends." Emma searched her mind for any mention of a Mr. Briney. It clicked with a man her grandfather had once talked about.

'My best friend, and best rival. The best water pokemon trainer you've ever seen.'

"He talked about you!" She let out a happy little gasp.

"Did he?" Mr. Briney coughed into his sleeve, it covering the frown on his face. "What did he say?"

"Just that you guys were best friends and you were a great trainer."

"I see. But I'm not that boy any more." Mr. Briney paused. "A long time ago, your grandfather gave me something for safe-keeping. I think by now he'd want it returned, because I never took the time to give it back. It'd slipped my mind."

"Really?"

"Yes. Would you take it back for me, and give him my greetings?"

"Of course!" Emma beamed again, though behind her, Jira began to worry. Deo's look, if it was possible, darkened to an unhappy, angry look.

Mr. Briney returned, clutching something extremely precious in his hands...

He held it out, the necklace's green emerald in the middle sparkling. It was a tiny, but perfect, ball of glimmering green, surrounded by a golden yellow hold. Carved on the emerald's surface, highlighted by swirling gold markings, was something that...

Resembled a dragon.

* * *

_A/N: Yay, I will now talk to my reviewers!! I do this every chapter, to thank y'all for reviewing!! Here we are!_

_Hinata-rocks- Oookaay, I'll look it up!! Thanks for the recommendation! And thank you so much for reviewing! I hope you liked this!_

_St Elmos' Fire- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Yep, Deoxys will be a big part of this! Thank you so much for reviewing!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you'll like this story. Also, I like your name. It's cool._

_Well, I'll see everybody in a week!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I am SOOO sorry about the wait!! School's started, the teachers are piling on homework... It's just been an overall bad week. Weeks. Plus, I have a large series of projects coming up. Ugh... Anyways, thanks to reviwers!!! You rock!!_

Emerald

3

"I sure will!" Emma chirped.

Behind her, Jira looked troubled. "Emma..."

"Yeah?" Emma happily swirled around.

"Emma, maybe we should hurry to your house..."

"Where're you young people going?" Mr. Briney asked, with a wide smile.

"My house! I've offered them a ride to Lavaridge Town. You see, the cave's out. And they were trapped."

"I see." His face smiled, the crinkles on it being emphasized. "Perhaps you'd like a ride from me? I could take you by ship to Slateport City, then you could walk to Lavaridge Town from there. It'd be long, but you'd be able to see sights."

"I would love to do sightseeing!" Emma chirped.

Deo, behind her, rolled his eyes, not looking at his sister's troubled face.

"...But first, let me call my mother!"

Mr. Briney's face shifted for a moment. "...There's a slight problem with that, young lass." He paused, which made Jira's suspicious look darken. "...I don't have a telephone, you see."

"Oh, that's okay. I'll just go to the next city over and ask for a phone!"

Mr. Briney turned around, and hacked into a Kleenex, his face looking like he was a trapped animal. Finally, he turned back around. "Lass, perhaps... What if your parents don't approve of your new friends?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Emma was confused, and the siblings behind her looked worried at this turn of events.

"After all, you just met them, and now you're offering them a ride. With one of your grandparent's pokemon. What if they don't give it back?"

Emma opened her mouth, as if to protest. Jira's hand wrapped itself into Deo's and squeezed, hard. His eyes narrowed as Jira let go. And then, he just...

Disappeared.

A loud squawking came from inside the house. Peeko.

Mr. Briney jumped, and Emma's mouth spoke.

"What's that?"

"Peeko, of course." He squeezed his hands together, his face contemplating. With a look at Jira, and a look at Deo, who was now back, he said, "Wait here," and went inside the house.

Jira sprang forward. "Oh, Emma, we can't take a long time... Our parents will be... worried..."

"Ohhhh..." Emma smiled. "'Kay. I'll say goodbye to Mr. Briney."

Jira gave a start. "Er, no, um... Why don't we go telephone your parents like you suggested? Except just to tell them you're coming home." Her look was now begging.

"But he's-"

Deo began to walk. "...We don't have time, got it?"

Emma ran after him, probably shocked that he had spoken at all.

Jira walked more slowly, glancing back uneasily at the house. "Then she is the Dragon Keeper... Deo, what are we going to do?"

* * *

Her voice was nothing but a whisper, but it echoed and echoed, finally fading into the fog rolling in from the woods.

Emma's unending talk filled the uncomfortable silence between the two others, Jira's blond hair limp and her blue eyes looking somewhat lost. Deo's expression, as sure as the sun rising, was unreadable.

"And THEN he used Surf to cross the little pond. He ran into a Sharpedo along the way, which he beat with an Earthquake from his-"

"Emma?"

"Yes?" Emma swirled around, her short black hair bobbing up and down.

"May I see the necklace he presented you?" She then winced, as if expecting to be struck. Emma, however, simply grinned.

"I don't see why not!"

Deo pushed a hand through his hair, a sign that Emma did not recognize as worry. The wind began to blow as Emma handed the necklace over. The emerald dazzled in the shifting light of the sun, the shadows of the trees dancing.

Emma felt something cold make its way down her spine, icy and chilling. The look on Jira's face seemed to say she felt the same thing. She shoved it back into Emma's fingers with a trembling hand.

"Jira?" She managed to whisper. The leaves blew through the trees in response.

"You should never, ever give the necklace away," Jira said, slowly. Her blue eyes were unfocused, looking at something that Emma could never see.

"Jira." Deo's voice cracked, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should find a place to rest for a while."

Emma nodded, her cheerful mood carried away on the wind.

* * *

It was later, and even the nighttime didn't help the feeling of the earlier event. 

Jira was already asleep, while Emma sat, in silence.

Emma never, ever, sat in silence. It wasn't in her nature.

Emma was an optimist. Even if the day seemed gray, she was confident that it would clear to reveal a rainbow.

But not now. Now, the icy chills sweeping down her back remained, every once in a while drifting away, only to come back when she least expected it.

Her teeth began to chatter despite the warmth of the day. The woods seemed cold.

Footsteps sounded beside her, and she suspiciously looked at them. Deo stood behind her, one hand ruffling his red hair, the other stuck deep inside the pocket on his loose blue pants. He sighed deeply.

Emma tried to cheer herself up, and managed a smile that looked convincing. Deo froze, unknowing, it seemed, how to respond to such a thing as a smile meant only for one person. He finally dropped himself down beside her.

"Jira's sleeping soundly." He paused. "I don't know what happened today..." If she looked deep inside the expressionless look on his face, she'd discover that he knew. He knew a lot more than he said. Than he would ever say. "...But-"

"I really don't want to talk about it." Emma shifted into a more comfortable position, inside wondering what had caused her to be so rude. After all, it was the first time he'd ever talked directly to her.

Silence from him.

Emma stood, and turned. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Hey." It was barely audible.

"Yes?"

Deo crossed his arms and shook his head. Emma sighed, and went to her sleeping bag.

He stood soundlessly, stared off into the trees, and let a frown flicker on his face.

So much for trying to make her happy again.

* * *

One of Jira's eyes flicked open as it scanned the area around her. Soft breathing from her brother and Emma meant that they were sleeping fine.

She sat up, and glanced out into the trees, the defiance in her eyes fading as her soft sigh confirmed that he was not coming. Not tonight.

Something was holding him at bay.

Something was keeping him from Deo.

Jira twisted a strand of her blonde hair around one finger nervously, finally resting back in her sleeping bag. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, swallowing.

How much longer could they hide this... Hide EVERYTHING... From Emma? How could they, when she was involved?

* * *

_A/N: Augghhh!! Again, I'm SOOOOO sorry!!! Well, I guess it's time to talk!_

_Hinata-rocks- Thank you so much for your continued support throughout this story so far!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Well, the necklace was a bit hard to describe. And about the pairing... Okay! I'll try it. I hinted at it a little here, though not much. You've gotta start someplace for people like Deo. Thank you so much, and I hope you liked this!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I'm SOOOOO sorry!!!! Gaahhh... Anyway, yep, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I was away for a few days. Anyhoo, please enjoy! And thanks to reviewers! Also, as Orangen said: I'm wrong. Emma has a Torchic in Destined: Ruby, and a Treecko here. However, I WILL keep the Treecko as her main pokemon. I'll have to either write in why she lied, or something (even though it was just my mistake). Thanks for pointing that out. And also for putting my story in your forum!_

Emerald

4

"Hellooooo???" Emma knocked impatiently on the door. "Hellooooooo..."

Her cheery mood had resumed that morning, and they were now situated in front of Emma's house, where she was knocking on the door with loud, excited thumps.

Behind her, Jira shivered. Emma was so happy and bright, but the house was cold, empty, and almost...

"Emma?"

A boy stood beside them, spiky white hair sticking out above his bandanna. His red eyes skipped easily over the two siblings, coming to rest uneasily on Emma.

"Brendan!" Emma chirped.

He seemed unsure of himself for several seconds, eyes darting around warily, and Jira got the impression that he had something that he wasn't quite sure how to say.

"Breeennnnndoooooonnnn..." Emma said, crossing her arms. "Meanie, you're teasing me again, aren't you?"

"...No." He scuffled the toe of his shoe in the dirt, biting his lip. "Er... Emma..."

"What?"

He was quiet shortly, then finally could hold it back no longer. "We don't know where your family is. The police... The police think they're dead, and your mother's body has already been found."

Emma's green eyes looked at him. They were questioning, but were not like anything at all. They looked straight through Brendan, far away.

Jira managed to let out a whisper. "...Emma?"

Emma let out a brief smile. But it was nothing like anything else. She looked defeated, tired. She was now a shadow of before, her old self have drifted away, leaving nothing but a shell.

"I'm okay." She said, smiling deftly. "I'm okay."

But Jira got the feeling- no, she knew- that Emma was certainly not okay.

"Gotta have hope," Emma said, her voice almost rising to a hysterical level, but as soft as the wind.

Brendan looked physically pained. "...Hey, I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Her voice was cold. "I am very sorry as well."

"They could still be found."

"How many days has it been?" Jira ventured quietly. She did not enjoy prodding... It often ended up in painful situations.

Brendan swallowed. "They disappeared the day after Emma left."

Everyone was silent.

The silence was broken as Deo tore away from the group at a wild run.

* * *

Jira closed her eyes tightly. Sleeping here, in Emma's bed, felt strange. 

Emma had refused to enter the house- She was sleeping outside, if she slept at all.

So Jira had been offered the bed. Emma had still been worried about her, despite her own problems. Jira had still not taken on the proper color since her scare of the day before, in the forest.

Now she was lying in the comfortable bed, in a room in the house that was so bright, it almost made it hard to go to sleep.

Before that day, Emma had been a girl who radiated energy and happiness from every pore. Her room was filled with bright pictures of the cutest pokemon around: Pikachus and Pichus laughing together, Bellossoms dancing, Mudkips swimming and splashing with a group of Poliwags, and... One picture did not fit the mold.

It was a dark picture, and slightly smaller than the rest, placed in a golden frame on top of a bookcase. Jira stood, trying not to make the floor squeak, then began to walk towards the picture to get a better look.

She flipped on the Jigglypuff lamp beside it, and tilted the picture upwards. She couldn't make out much of anything, but there was a glimmer of green and yellow, combined with a hazy red-yellow light...

She dropped the picture, grabbing her head in pain. _Rayquaza_, her mind sang_. Rayquaza. Rayquaza using Hyper Beam_.

The necklace had been enough proof, but as for this picture... Why would Emma have a picture of Rayquaza in her room, using Hyper Beam? Rayquaza, according to the legends, almost never fought... It wasn't normal, it was absolutely...

The now shattered glass of the picture glittered, and Jira bent down, beginning to gather up the pieces. One left an inch long cut on her finger, and she winced in pain, wishing it would go away...

And then she remembered that wishing was childish and useless, as her father had said.

She wiped the blood away on her leg, and bit her lip, glancing at the now absolutely normal hand. No scratches, no more blood... She froze. Could it...

_"Better?"_ A voice chirped in her mind. Childish, warm.

She hadn't heard the voice since the day she wished she had a brother.

* * *

Emma shifted in her sleeping bag, clutching the fabric with a fierce intensity. 

Why was she so angry?

A figure leaned over her sleeping bag, green eyes glittering in the dark, almost teal.

She glared at it, raising her head slightly. The figure did not notice.

A slow, steady output of warm air on her neck made her mind whirl. Now there were two figures- One solid, the one with teal eyes, and the other, which was almost like a... shadow?

The solid one crawled closer, lifting a hand that drifted closer and closer to her face...

Overhead, in the skies, clouds began to gather. A fast thunderstorm, rain threatening to come crashing down.

The solid one's hand landed on her shoulder, and began to shake her... gently...

She immediately felt calm. The teal eyes meant no harm... They were simply worried, above all else.

But the shadow... It truly was a shadow, following the solid one around. Doing whatever he did, but in some strange, twisted form.

Instead of clutching her shoulder, the shadow clutched her heart, and instead of gently rocking it, wrapped its icy cold fingers around it and began to shake it, hard, squeezing tighter and tighter...

She was too tired to do anything about it... Besides... The pain was almost nothing compared to how it felt to be told that your family was probably dead.

But a deep rumble from the sky awoke her from her daze, and she sat up as it began to rain.

The rumble sounded almost like words...

"Leave her be..."

The gentle grip on her shoulder let go, and the iron hold on her heart was forced to give up as well.

"Emma," the figure whispered, tired but still as emotionless as ever. "Emma."

She didn't respond.

"It's going to rain. You have to go inside."

She looked up at him, green eyes regaining their original hue. "...Deo?"

"Yeah," was the curt response. "Now are you going to get inside, or do I have to carry you?"

"Not my house," she whispered. "Not mine."

"Where else am I going to put you?"

"Professor Birch's lab."

Deo sighed deeply.

She pulled herself out of her sleeping bag, glancing wearily at him. "Deo, I don't like your shadow."

Such a stupid and strange thing to say. Perhaps she was still half-asleep.

If it wasn't night, she would have seen his face darken.

"I don't like it either."

* * *

She slumped down onto the cold tile floor, ignoring the beeping machines. 

"Sleep well," he said bluntly, throwing her sleeping bag down to her.

She wriggled into it, enjoying the warmth.

"I'm leaving now." He walked towards the door. Why had he cared? Why hadn't he just left her outside?

"Hey, Deo?" She muttered, now sleepy once more.

"Yes?" He asked darkly.

"Make sure to let the rain cleanse you." Another entirely sleepy statement that seemed just right. Her mouth was not her own, it seemed.

He looked at her with what she would never guess was shock.

"The rain can...?"

But she was asleep.

* * *

Jira listened to the pitter patter of the rain against the window. The night had seemed strange just moments before... 

She raced to the window. There was no way... Deoxys couldn't be...

There was definitely a dark stain, but as the rain trickled down into the ground, it disappeared. Jira blinked.

Another safe night.

She made her way back to the bookcase, frowning. What was it about Emma's room?

She bent down, then pulled a book off the shelf.

"Legends," she read on the cover. She pulled out another book. "Time and Space: Legendaries". Another. "The King of the Skies". Another. "The Deep Sea's Mysteries". Another. "Unreal: True Stories of Legendary Sightings". Her fingers twitched as she reached for another book. It was small and made of black leather, and it seemed so out of place among the many bright colored pictures of the other books.

She flipped it open.

_"February 3rd:_

_Today, my granddaughter was born. She is so beautiful, and her green eyes match mine perfectly. But I know exactly what that means, and it is not merry. She does not deserve the fate that I have placed upon her shoulders: it isn't fair to give it to such a sweet and innocent child._

_Rayquaza has already blessed us with a snow, to celebrate the occasion. He knew this was coming._

_My only joy is that she will be protected, forever, by the sky. In case he comes again."_

* * *

Deo watched the rain trickle down his red hair, contrasting with it. He shook his head, droplets sprinkling everywhere. 

Behind him, the twisted shadow began to fade away with the rain..

It fled.

But Deo knew it would be back.

* * *

_A/N: Ugh... I'm so disgusted with myself. Anyway, I hope this chapter was good. I think I wrote in in the same style as Ruby. Anyway, thanks for reading up to chapter 4! YAY!! Talky time!_

_Orangen- Thanks for your kind words! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I'm so happy! Thanks for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! Thanks a lot!!_

_Well... See you when I see you, I guess... YAY!!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I'm SOOOO sorry... I've been sick, my school has been evil, I've had places to go... All right, I'll stop making excuses. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter, and I'm so sorry... _

Emerald 5

"Emma, you silly little girl... What are you doing?"

The small girl, about 2 years old, turned around, innocently chewing on a plushie toy's ear.

The aging man, rocking in his chair, said with a smile, "I suppose she likes it."

The mother let out a small laugh, picked her child up, and swirled her around. Emma let out a happy giggle.

"Mommy," she squealed. "Spin again!"

The mother tenderly set the child down, and patted her once on the head. "...Emma, Mommy needs to go someplace with Grandpa for a little while. You can stay with Daddy, and Grandma."

The child immediately burst into tears. "MOOMMMYYYY!!!"

"Shhh, it's okay..." The mother smiled. "You're getting a little cranky. I think it's time for your nap." The little girl, never one to deny that she was tired, nodded.

"Bed."

"Yes." Swinging her up onto her hip, the mother walked into the girl's bedroom. She set her down into a cradle, kissed her on her forehead, and began to sing.

"Little one, do not cry,

For soon will come the day

When everyone sings a lullaby

Together

The wind and the rain's end

Will be one

And shooting stars will lend

Their fire

So little one, wait for the day

When the world sings together

And shining stars will lay

Their blessings

Upon you... Little one...

So don't cry

She lay the blanket upon her child.

"Is she asleep?" The aging man stood in the doorway.

"Yes. What's happened?"

The old man frowned.

"Rayquaza is restless... He thinks that something will happen soon."

The woman looked distressed. "Soon, for Rayquaza, can mean hundreds of years... But he never acts like this. He hasn't acted like this since Deoxys first came."

"I know, I know." The old man pulled on his white beard. "I can't make out everything he says, but it's something about a little girl."

The woman gripped the railing of the crib tighter. Her face paled. "Emma?"

"No. I don't think it's a real girl... But I can't figure it out. He says girl like he would refer to a pokemon under his care."

The woman nervously stroked Emma's head, finally steeling herself. "Why must this all happen now?"

"It had to happen sometime, Emiline. You knew that. We knew Deoxys would be back. That he would try and destroy everything again..."

And we know, the woman thought bitterly, That my own child will have to do something about it... Will have to work with Rayquaza to stop them...

But she said none of that. "Has Rayquaza mentioned Jiranchi?"

"No, but I believe that Jiranchi is restless too... but probably for silly reasons. You know how childish it is."

"It's childish, Father, not naive. It may be lonely, but doesn't it have the Speaker to talk to?"

"It should," the old man said, troubled. "But perhaps that's what's troubling it... I don't sense the Speaker of Jiranchi anywhere..."

"That's nonsense. It always has one. The only way it would not have one is if the Speaker were to be emotionally or mentally destroyed."

"Exactly."

"The Speaker would only be... What, four? What horrible people would crush a child of four years old?!"

The man's face darkened. "Emiline, do you remember the stories I told you of the Seekers? The ones who worked with Deoxys... Who treated him like a God, and who were furious when he was banished from our earth by Rayquaza?"

"Those are just stories, aren't they?" She asked in almost a whisper.

"No, Emiline. They're not."

* * *

"Deo!" Jira whispered, giving him a soft prod on his side with her finger. "What's the matter with you?! Sleeping outside!" 

Deo rolled over. "Jira," he stated plainly. There were no "good mornings"... There never were. There were no "I love you"s. In fact, they both barely knew that they existed.

The word love for them meant nothing but wanting something... A word that was an empty shell, devoid of real meaning. The meaning was far away from where they were.

But that didn't mean they didn't feel it.

There was warmth in her eyes as she looked at her only brother, and also worry. "You could have just slept inside Emma's house... It's so much easier for him to get you outside!"

"That's not true."

She sagged. "You're right. But still. It's not logical for you to sleep outside. You may be hardy, but you're not invincible to the weather and the cold."

"I feel fine."

"Where's Emma?"

"Inside the lab. She was sleeping outside, and I made her go in."

"Just like you should have done." He waved her off.

"Are you going to go get her?"

"I don't want to wake her up. She needs her sleep. She looked bad yesterday. She must have liked her parents. A lot."

"I don't really get why, but yeah." He paused. "Jira, maybe we should just leave. Deox-"

"Don't say his name!!" She hissed, fists clenched. "It's already bad enough that he comes to you!!!"

He looked at his sister slowly, observing her. "Jira, what's wrong?"

She frowned. "It's nothing." She, in turn, began to observe him. "Deo, you look... Clean. Pure."

"So do you." Their trained eyes observed the other's aura, carefully watching and beginning to learn.

Then they both calmed.

"That voice spoke to me again."

"Emma told me the rain could cleanse me."

Jira smiled mechanically. Sadly. A smile that could make your heart wrench. "Deon, do you think that we'll ever really escape him?"

"No, Jirali."

* * *

He shifted, settling himself down upon a seat of cloud. 

A deep rumble came from inside his throat, that of thunder.

He had to protect her, but should she really be protected?

Was it any of his business?

He laughed, lightning. No... Everything was truly his business.

From the rain that populated the seas to the stars that made fire, it was his.

Rayquaza slowly began to ascend.

He would watch for now. Watch over Emma.

Tree, for the first time, was being something other than cool.

His crying trainer was much more important than this.

"Tree, I miss my mother. I miss her so much!! I don't even know why she's gone!" She buried her face in her hands as her other pokemon crowded around her, Beautifly gently stroking her face with one of its antennae, her Taillow rubbing her arm with its head, Tree having one hand placed like an anchor, firmly, on her shoulder, keeping her lodged to the world that she now felt so wrong in.

She tried to gather all of them into a hug.

"I never cry. I'm never sad." She swallowed.

"I guess I am now."

* * *

Jira watched her Linoone burrow into the pile of leaves, watched her Altaria let out a plaintive call. They were never secret about their emotions. She supposed that was what she liked about them, in a way. What she disliked about herself. But all of that didn't matter now... That's what she told herself... They had to escape Deoxys... She should spend her time worrying about that... About Deo and him. But she couldn't. Instead, she was selfish. 

She wished she could be more open.

She almost gasped aloud.

Wishing for that was like wishing for the sky to turn green, wanting to live to be thousands of years old, wanting to be able to breathe underwater. It was never to be so. Maybe for somebody else, but never for her.

_"Wishing can come true. I should know."_ A giggle.

The same voice.

_"Don't try to make wishing go away. Wishing is good for you!"_ Another giggle, a soft sing-song. _"A dream is a wish your heart makes..."_

It stopped, and she felt it sadden. _"We haven't talked, really, for a long time. But now you've wished for three things!"_ Warmth... _"I guess I should say hello! You're Jira, aren't you? Short for Jirali? What a funny name! But I guess you're named after me. That's weird, because mostly Seekers don't name their children after pokemon like me!"_

She stood upright. "How do you know that?" She whispered, her voice almost harsh. Jira was never harsh. Seekers were secret... Nobody knew about them...

_"I know everything, really. Well, not everything. I mean, not compared to Rayquaza and Kyogre and them... They're really old, and I'm kinda not."_ Another giggle. _"Oh, but I guess you don't know me... And judging by your angry feelings, you don't really want me... But still, I'm here! And because I can talk to you, I won't be lonely any more!"_

_"I'm Jiranchi!"_

_

* * *

A/N: Now I feel really weird. A weird chapter. I think it was decently long, though, full of lots of mystery! And thanks to my reviewers! Yay, here we go!_

Orangen- Yes, that could WORK!!! You're a genious!! Thank you for that! And thanks so much for reviewing, and just everything!!! You rock!

Yeah, well, yay! Okay, I write seriously, and then my A/N's are weird. I'm crazy. Anyway, thanks so much to Orangen, and I hope everybody enjoyed this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: I've just looked at the length of the chapter. My gosh, it's the longest one I've written yet!!! I'm so sorry for wait and all that other stuff... I stink, I know. Anyway, on to the story._

Emerald

6

"Emma?"

She jerked her head up, and her red eyes were enough to make the man at the door worry.

"Why are you in my lab?"

"I didn't want to sleep in my own house."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Along with a truth.

"Well, you know you're always welcome here."

Flashes of a happy childhood dashed through her mind, days of playing with pokemon outside in the sunlight with her best friend, Brendan, on snowy days cuddling up to a Charmander or Torchic for comforting warmth...

But that was an Emma that was very different from the girl she was today.

She stood, no signs of trembling in her stance, or in her voice. But her eyes cried out loud and clear.

"Thanks, Professor Birch."

"Ah..." The Professor looked around, trying to look for something, anything, to distract her from whatever was happening to her...

His eyes came to rest on a pokeball. The only one left. The Treecko and Mudkip had been taken already by two previous trainers. But the last... It was still there...

"Here. Take this." He practically threw the pokeball into her hands.

"...What is it?" She asked weakly.

"A Torchic. It's a real sweet thing- But a bit naive and has a bit of a childish manner."

"Like I was."

"Yes, like you ar-" He paused. "Was, Emma?"

She clenched her fists tightly. "Yes, Professor, was. And until my parents are found, this is the way I am going to be."

He stepped aside as she swept out the door, her pokemon racing after her, faces worried.

He collapsed into his lab chair, massaging his forehead. "...Poor child." His face darkened, and he looked up at the ceiling. "I know you probably can't hear me, Emiline, but if you've got any idea of what your daughter is going through, you'd stop this. You wouldn't do this... And I know it's for her own good. But your father can stop this on his own. Why risk your own life as well?"

* * *

Deo swore as his foot was caught in a unsteady String-Shot. Really. He was getting out of practice. Then again, without the Machines it was much more difficult. 

He gritted his teeth. He could face Dragonite, but not a stupid Beautifly?

It taunted him, fluttering about him, almost giggling with delight. With a specialized kick designed for String-Shot, he broke free easily, landing firmly on his feet as he knocked the Beautifly away. Dizzily, it flapped its way to the shoulder of-

"Deo?" Her blue eyes looked over him, hardening a tiny bit as she strode forward, her voice a tiny hiss. "Are you insane? What if somebody saw you? People don't fight pokemon!"

But she softened as she picked a piece of string out of his hair, gazing fondly at him, yet carefully restraining from any real emotion. "I hope you're all right, Deo. The rest of us certainly aren't."

"What?" His attention was focused solely on her. "Don't tell me that he came for you instead-"

"No." She nervously blew a strand of blonde hair away from her face, obviously struggling for words. "It wasn't him... Or at least, I think it wasn't him..." Aggravated, she crossed her arms. "It was the voice that I told you about before... But it said it was Jiranchi... And it knew all about me..."

"Jiranchi?" He placed both hands on her shoulders firmly. "Jira, that can't be. It's never awakened except for when that comet comes by."

"But it spoke to me. It did!" She slumped. "I think I'm going insane."

"It's pretty hard to go insane," a cheerful voice volunteered. "Ooooohhh, but I know several who have!"

She withdrew from grip, glancing about as though she had heard a gunshot. "Did you hear that?" She hissed. "It said something to me!"

"I didn't hear anything." His mind began whirring. He and Jira had spoken about this before... But now he saw somewhat of a resemblance between her voice that spoke to her and his own... His eyes narrowed. "Jira, you know that's how it is... Deoxys talks to you, but nobody else hears it- Jira? Jira!!"

She had turned, concentrating on the trees. "Maybe you're right... But it isn't as you described it... It's more like... Somebody's there, just beyond my reach."

"He can't hear me, silly. He's of Deoxys, not of me." The voice lazily paused, and she felt herself grinding her teeth in annoyance. "I mean, really! To say that I'm Deoxys... That's silly! I'm Jiranchi, not Deoxys, and I talk to you, not to him. I know it's complicated, but still!" A giggle. "Hey, say hello to him for me. And try to cheer him up, will you? It must be horrid, having to be Deoxys' living form and Speaker and all." She felt its mood darken, and she felt a hole beginning to form inside of her. "You know what we have to do, right?"

"What?" She whispered. But there was more than annoyance in her voice now, or even a questioning. There was worry.

Sorry filled her, a feeling she had often pushed away. It was easy to keep feelings away. She had been taught her entire life. But this... Jiranchi (but it couldn't be... Jiranchi was legendary...), as the voice had last said before leaving, felt for her. The feelings were not hers, yet they were. It was such a strange sensation, not feeling much of anything and feeling so much sorrow at once.

"You don't know, then..." All childishness was gone.

"What we are going to-"

"Jira!" He had her wrist now, twisting it painfully (although for her own good). "What are you doing? Who are you talking to?! Please, please..." He couldn't say it. For her to suffer what he did, that would be too horrible for him. To have anger and darkness growing inside you, making you do things that you regretted. Knowing that you, somehow, were responsible for the terrible things it did...

She let her body begin to tremble. Whatever "they" had to do... Whatever it was planning... It was not good.

She looked at her brother, attaching herself firmly to his arm, afraid of her legs giving out. This was insane. ...Seekers didn't tremble. Seekers weren't afraid...

Then again, they weren't really Seekers anymore.

* * *

She was out of the lab now, the sunlight streaming through her black hair, making it shine. The day was beautiful. It certainly wasn't how she felt. 

"Groo-vyyle..."

She picked him up, not to cuddle him, but to have him as a comfort.

"Tree, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? I miss them so much..."

Her eyes darted upwards as Jira and Deo came in from the trees, both pale, Jira shaking and wiping her forehead nervously.

Despite her own sorrow, she was still worried about them. After all, how would they get home now? She had failed them, utterly failed them.

Jira looked up as well now, blue eyes locking onto Emma's green ones.

"Hello, Jira."

"Emma," she responded, a small, fake smile on her face. Emma's face was almost a mirror of hers.

"Are you all right?"

"I just had a little... A little scare. That's all."

She looked to Deo for confirmation, but he just shifted uncomfortably on one foot, finally clenching his fists at his sides, stiffly standing upright.

Jira smiled again, and a chill crawled up Emma's spine.

"I'll be in the woods if you need me." A glance at Deo. "I need to think, to be alone."

"I know what you mean. Go ahead."

And Jira was gone, and Deo was left standing there.

"So, Deo..." She spoke softly, her tone saying that she was thinking deeply. "What's been happening with you?"

He twitched, finally shaking his head. "Nothing."

She frowned, then felt a twinge of an urge to hold his hand. Jira had looked troubled... Deo looked worried... Which was huge, for him...

Why were they both so upset?

"You can tell me."

It was probably the wrong thing to say. After all, she herself didn't feel like telling anyone how she felt. And here she was, telling him to open up to her.

"There are some things," he began slowly, then began gaining momentum. "That shouldn't ever be said."

The largest response she had ever gotten from him, from one question. And probably the most truthful.

A thought struck her. Perhaps he missed his parents... Like she missed hers. They probably seemed so far away, and that they might never see them again. After all, people were hard to find. And they hadn't had word for a long time. What if their parents gave up on them and moved?

"We could ask somebody else to fly you back..."

His head jerked up, his eyes narrowing. "I prefer not to trust strangers." He preferred not to trust anyone, with the exception of his sister.

And perhaps Emma now.

The thought disappeared from his head as quickly as he had thought it. After all, becoming attached to something he was going to eventually lose was... Painful.

The Seekers would never accept a girl like her... They might even kill her.

They most definitely would.

And whatever Jira seemed to know about her was a mystery, dark and strange. The Emma he knew, and the Emma that she seemed to see sometimes...

The question was out of his mouth before he had time to think.

"Why would your parents just disappear?"

She turned away. "I don't know, Deo. I don't know."

* * *

Humans were foolish. It was quite simple to see. 

So why was he attaching himself to one of them? After all, humans were so fragile. Thousands of their lives could easily fit into a small part of his. So why had he attached himself to their family?

It all started, he supposed, with that little girl.

Bright, energetic. He had glimpsed her on earth one day, and he had loved her. In a fatherly way. She was so innocent, so childish, so pure... But he had blinked his eyes, and she was gone.

Gone, gone, gone, turned into a woman. With a child of her own.

He had learned, and refused to lose that little child. Exactly like her mother, with hair darker than the darkest rain cloud, green eyes brighter than his own scales. He had shown himself to her.

It was not forbidden for him to show himself to a human. Just incredibly rare.

And he had let her climb upon his back. Shown her the world and more.

But she was young, and as all people do, her childish "dreams" were soon forgotten in the midst of the brimming life she had. He was nothing more than a wisp of time, a time long left behind.

He had wondered what he had done wrong. Had he scared her, with his fangs, and his size? But something nagged him. He wanted to blame himself, badly. But he knew he could not, as it wasn't true.

The child, more or less, had forgotten him of her own free will. Or perhaps, the will of the humans had been too strong for her. He didn't exist in their little world.

He hated being angry. The sun felt cold compared to his burning rage. He had to do something, or burn mankind to nothing but scorched ground.

So he waited, for just a little longer. He knew her child would be herself reborn, made into another innocent being, entirely pure until the world killed her true spirit.

He wouldn't let that happen. This time, he did more than let her ride upon his back, and show her the world. He took her to his world: the land of clouds, where the stars blessed you.

And he let her touch the moonbeams, before they were poisoned by the harsh air. He let her drink the sunlight in, let the sky and its pleasures be her pleasures.

But the inevitable came. She wanted to know when she would go home.

He wanted to say, Never.

But the green eyes that weren't so little any more looked at him, pleading. She missed her mother, her family, her friends, her life.

Heaven wasn't enough. Not if she was alone.

No father can deny their child something so wished for, so hoped for, so lived for. A dream never fulfilled.

He had let her go.

Even now, a deep hole filled him as he thought of her, and all before and after her. They were all the same. Beautiful, pure, happy, wonderful like no other human could be.

He was so taken in by them, all of them. Humans were almost all the same in his eyes... She was different. He could hardly refer to them all as the same person... But in his eyes, they were.

Rayquaza looked at the soul, the essence... Everything that made her her. He could never find a reason that he loved her so. It just was. She just was.

But it was always the same. He would never be able to bring her here, forever, where he was. For while he hardly aged, she would. And without her on earth, her children would not be there, to be the same, to be loved by him.

It was torture.

A thunderstorm began to gather from his thoughts, and he swiped it away as easily as one might wipe off a chalkboard.

And now the little girl he loved was... She was in so much pain. It filled him with rage.

She was not going to be quite the same...

But he so wanted her to stay the same. Perhaps if he just changed something... Just a little...

He could make it better...

* * *

_A/N: Wait, what the... WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST WRITE?!?! Ahem. Anyway, yay for drama and all of that... I love writing from the view of Rayquaza. It's just so fun. Well, now you know why the sky is seemingly favoring Emma... OR DO YOU?! Just kidding. Anyway, on to reviews!_

_Orangen- Yes, I agree on the exclamation... Hee hee. I like to use multiple exclamation points... Anyway, thank you! And thanks so much for supporting this story and my other story too! Thanks so much!!!_

_CandyKins- Really? That's great!! I hope you liked it!! And I hope you liked this chapter and it appealed to you too!!_

_Well, that's all, folks! I'll see you in another week or two... WAAAAHHHHH!!!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Finally... I know. Anyway, yay, this chapter's gonna be a bit wack, so steel yourselves!_

Emerald

7

"What's wrong with her, anyway?"

A cool shrug. "Can't really say... But don't you feel it around her?"

"What? That?"

"Yep." Eyes fastened firmly on the little chick. "...You have no idea what you've gotten pulled into."

"I may not know. But she seems really nice. Why is she hurting?"

"That ditz may be our trainer, and she may be a ditz, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have issues." He paused to let out a groan. "Don't tell me you think this is going to be like some fairytale."

"Well..." She shifted, ruffling her feathers a bit. "...Shouldn't it be?"

"No, you idiot. This isn't one of those stories your mom told you at bedtime- how you'll get captured by a loving, caring trainer who will make sure you're safe, forever, using you to battle valiantly for him or her." He let out a snort. "Let me tell you..."

"She's not evil, is she?" Eyes widening. "Why would His aura be around her if she's evil?"

He rolled his eyes, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back. "She's not 'evil', as you call it. Heck, you'd better have a very good definition of evil among these humans. You NEVER know what they'll do next..."

"But His aura's not around any other one."

He closed his eyes. "...Right."

"So?"

"She's special, I guess. Though for the life of me I can't see why."

"She's your trainer!" The fire chick let out an outburst. "Shouldn't you love her? Shouldn't she love you? Love all of us?"

His eyes snapped open as he stood up. "I never said I didn't love her, you idiot. I never said she didn't love us." A green finger jammed in her face. "...Why don't you go bug Taillow or something? He's right next door, and he's sure to have less of an urge to smack you against the wall."

"Because you've been with her the longest. You know her the best." Truth, that's all it was. Honesty. Innocence.

He twitched. "Nobody knows that girl at all."

A pause. "Why is she sad? Why did she cry?"

He softened. "They have parents just like we do... And hers disappeared a little while ago... That's why she's sad."

"Were they captured?"

He let out a groan. "You were obviously raised in a bubble."

"I know." He glanced at her, easily telling that she had rarely been out of her pokeball before.

"Literally, I see." He shook his head. "They can't be captured, got it? They aren't like us."

"I know." Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. "...You never told me why He seems to be around her."

He shoved a twig in his mouth, avoiding the question.

"And the other, too."

He stopped chewing. "The other?"

"You know... Him. The Other One."

"...Oh." A pause. "I don't know about that. It's not quite HIM, you know. The Other One. It's more like a fuzzy outline of him... Not really him."

Her mouth dropped. "Wouldn't that be a Likane?"

"Yeah."

"What, is he attracted to the aura?"

"I have no idea." He began to mutter, sufficiently annoyed with all of it and what he was about to say. "...I think he likes her, too. As in..."

"I can't hear you. What?"

"Oh, forget it, you stupid Torchic! You don't understand a thing!" He turned on his heel and stalked away, into some other fake area of the ball.

She frowned. A Likane... Around her trainer... And Rayquaza's sacred aura. Her trainer wasn't a Likane like that boy... Or that girl, the golden haired one with the sad yet icy blue eyes. She was simply different, and it didn't take much looking to see why.

"He's blessed her, somehow... And Rayquaza's only ever done that to that little child, that Seliya... And all of her descendants..." She jerked her head up as the pieces of the puzzle began to slip together in her mind. If that Likane was the Other's Likane... And her trainer was Seliya's descendant... Then, the prophecy had to be coming true.

She frowned. What had he muttered? Something about the boy Likane.

She felt sorry for him. Soon to be betrayed by the ones he loved most, including The Watcher. Betrayed, thrown out, used to finally try and beat the Other out of the world.

Her stomach felt sick. How had she gotten herself brought into this?!

* * *

"What do we have to do?" She demanded to the open sky. The whistling of leaves was her answer, and she felt... Alone. "Jirachi! Answer me!" She beat her hands against a nearby tree, not caring as they began to bleed. What could she do? If Jirachi would not answer her, there was nothing to be done. She sunk down against the tree, feeling her eyes beginning to water. 

She wiped them, remembering a firm rule of the Seekers. Crying was for fools. Crying did not help to get rid of the meddlesome spy, the mistake you'd just made, the pokemon you were losing a battle against. Crying was useless.

But she so wanted to cry now.

What would she have to do to Deo? She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him. She hated to say it, even to think it... Seekers were not supposed to feel love, even for their siblings. If you were ordered to desert them on a mission, and you didn't, that would be a great loss for the Seekers, their plans being wrecked. That sort of thing wasn't ALLOWED.

She clutched at the tree all the same, whispering to herself.

"Please, Jirachi, tell me... I need to know, especially if it's Deo! Please!"

She felt the familiar presence reluctantly slide into its place in her mind.

"I don't want to tell you." Childish once more. But she felt it growing aggravated.

"Don't I deserve to-"

"Don't tell me about DESERVING things," the voice said in a miserable moan that came out a whine. "...It hurts."

"You can grant it, can't you?" She pleaded. "You don't even need to use your powers to tell me what we have to do. Please!"

Silence, and she felt it trying to slip away from her. However, she grabbed onto it in her mind with a vengeance. "You will tell me. You have to! I wish you would!"

Something snapped inside that little part of her, a part of her that was not quite her.

"Don't force me. Please don't. Please!"

She blinked. If she wished it, then Jirachi would have to do it?

"Yes," another small, quiet, pleading whine. "I'm tired of being pushed around like that. Always watching, always keeping wishes for people, that sort of thing."

"I could make you tell me what we have to do. Is it truly so horrible that you can't tell me? I must know, Jirachi!"

"...It's dreadful, Jira. You'll go beserk if you hear it. I won't tell you." Now, instead of childish, the voice was growing more mature as it painfully drew out the explanation.

"I won't. I promise."

A quiet, sad giggle. "Promises don't mean anything, anymore."

"What do you mean? Of course they do."

"No, they don't. You promise one thing, but wish another. You promise one thing, but you do another... You lack self-control."

"Coming from the pokemon that acts like a child." She was sick of this argument. So what if she went berserk? She could help Deo... She had to help Deo... Like he always helped her, back when they were little kids. When she was deemed useless for her lack of fighting skills, and he lost his cool. Two dead. Later he said he had been told to do it.

That was when the first problems with Deoxys had started.

"...Jira?" A probe, reaching out. Jirachi had probably already read her mind.

She didn't respond. Let Jirachi know how that felt.

"...Don't blame it on yourself, Jira. It isn't your fault at all, Deoxys and him. It's always been that way, even before you." She paused. "It's always been that way between you and me." A soft sigh. "You do have a right to know, Jira, and I'm sorry I wouldn't tell you. But still, I want... I don't want to tell you. Don't make me. Please." Pleading...

It almost broke her heart, that deep sorrow inside of her, pleading with her to let it go.

"...For now, Jirachi. But I want to know eventually. And tell me this. Does it have to do with my brother?"

She waited as silence responded, and she could feel the little piece that was Jirachi thinking.

"It's very much to do with your brother."

"Thank you."

"Don't forget what I told you." Warmth, a smile. "It isn't really your fault... That stupid Other..." A sad smile. "That rhymes."

"What?"

"That stupid Other." Another sigh as Jirachi gave a soft humming noise. "...My brother."

* * *

"Deo, have you ever lost anyone?" 

The question was out of the blue, a tired one asked by a lonely girl.

He stiffened, refusing to look at her green eyes, the ones that were now so dark and hopeless, almost.

But something made him answer.

"Yes."

Her hands, sitting in her lap, tightened on the fabric of her dress. "Who was it?"

He shrugged, something he seemed to do for an answer all the time. She had perhaps lowered his defenses for a second...

"Just somebody." He paused, his lips tightening. "...Somebodies."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? They sure as heck aren't."

"What?"

"I haven't lost them in death, you know." He lowered his head, his face darkening, his lips barely moving as he spoke. They slowly rounded into... A smirk... "Just in mind. I guess that's not as bad."

"They went insane?" Even in her own darkness, she couldn't stop herself from feeling remorse for his own problems... Surely, they almost dwarfed her own.

His tone got frosty. "Ha. Yeah right. They gave us up, you know. I wouldn't mind, but Jira was more prone to get attached, back then." A frown. "They made her cry and they didn't care."

"W-who were they?" She was completely startled, now. Neither had spoken of their family, or even their hometown.

He shrugged. "My parents. I guess my aunt and uncle are the only ones we literally lost. But then, I was the one that-" He had been almost dazed. But now, he seemed to get a shock as he came to his senses. "You don't want to hear about that," he stated mechanically.

"No, I do, Deo... Just let it out... It hurts to keep it in, Deo, so don't do that... Don't hurt yourself..." She wanted to say, 'I know it from experience.' But she didn't.

Eyes met, teal with green, both looking at each other in a different way, a different light, a different thought.

Even though they were sitting outside, alone, outside the town, the wind almost icy as it blew against their backs, she felt warm.

"I'm sorry I can't help you," she whispered. "I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to go over their disappearance, to help you more..."

He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, then slowly shut it. He let out an almost strangled sound, but couldn't break away from her looking at him.

She finally closed her eyes shut tightly, breaking whatever magic there had been in the gaze.

"...I want to help you get back home."

He finally spoke. "I never wanted to go home."

Her eyes snapped open as his closed.

"But- you- Deo..."

"I don't want to, but I should. It's pointless for me to be out here, but I don't want to leave. I don't want to go back. There, I'll be... I'll be somebody I've never wanted to be, that I despise being. Even now, home haunts me just like he does. ...No, it's not home. It's just mine. Home is where you're happy. I don't even have a home."

She stood, unable to look at him. Deo was not happy. He would never be happy. He had some deep hurt inside him that would never, ever be healed over. A cut on his heart that no amount of medicine could heal. Only something that he would never accept would heal it. And so he would never heal.

She could only say one word.

"Sorry."

Because he would never accept warmth. He would never truly accept it, she thought. He would never accept love.

* * *

The Other... She had heard that was what some called Deoxys. She clutched her hands to her head, feeling almost violated. "Then you... Then you..." 

"Don't hold me accountable for what he's done," Jirachi chirped nervously, his old personality beginning to come back. "R-really, I have nothing to do with his connection to Deo... It's something you're born with, not something we give to you personally. Did you know that?"

"All I know," she said in a deadly low voice, "Is that the reason that my brother is always like that... In pain... Is because of somebody you seem quite familiar with."

"But I'm not," Jirachi said softly. "I'm not at all. Deoxys may be my brother, but he's not my friend. He might have been, once. But now... Now, he's just my brother. I have no obligations to him, except to see him off this planet."

"To see him off this planet?!" Jira gave a sharp little intake of breath. "What-"

"It's complicated, Jira. And I'm REALLLYYYYYY tired," Jirachi said, beginning an annoying whine. "So, I'm just gonna leave now."

If that thing... Deoxys left the planet, then Deo would be... He would be free...

* * *

He could always feel when it was coming. As he lay down that night, the sickening wave of nausea sped over him, cold as if he'd just turned into ice. Yet his heart burned every time he took a breath. 

He was up in seconds, unconsciously racking his memory for where she was sleeping, and started searching for her. The feeling had come for him often enough for him to recognize the early stages. If it got to the blind stage, there was no way he could get to Jira in time for her to tie him down someplace, to try and control him while the dark...thing... pushed its way into his mind, eventually controlling him. Entirely.

He let out a short gasp as his head began to pound painfully. It was horribly dangerous for him to be completely loose, Deoxys in control, as he became lost in the dark pits of his mind. The red hot prickes of anger began to poke his mind, sizzling as he stumbled through the house towards Jira's room, and he was hardly keeping the next stage off. Two more to go, he thought desperately. Faster, Deo...

* * *

"See, it's pretty, isn't it?" Jirachi was cheerily observing the stars with an exasperated Jira. 

"Why couldn't you stop talking when I was going to sleep?" She asked, almost angry, but not quite. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced by a sleepy one. "Do you know how annoying-"

She was interrupted as a wave of dread struck through that tiny part of her mind with Jirachi in it.

"What is it?" She asked, almost a whisper.

"Jira, get back to the house NOW!" His voice was almost a shriek as she stood, bolting into a run.

"What's going on?!?!"

"Deo's having... Deoxys is..." Jirachi couldn't describe it in words. "Why does he have to be his Lakine?" A moan from him as Jira sped up. "He's after Rayquaza's energy, he's doubtless to be... But I didn't think Emma was radiating that much of it... Why in the world would it be-"

They were both stopped in their tracks as Emma stood in their path, her green eyes glowing as she let out an inhumane laugh. It was Emma... Yet it wasn't. What in the world had happened to her? Why was she standing outside, looking like... That?

She heard a soft moan from the house that Deo and she had been staying in for the night... Emma's.

She could only watch as her brother stumbled out of the house towards her, obviously in pain, until he finally noticed Jira and lunged towards her, almost collapsing at her feet.

"Jira, I'm sorry... I couldn't find you... The blind stage is next, Jira, only one more after that and he'll be in control-!"

"We've got to get him away from Emma. The sooner the better!" Jirachi screamed. "If he gets ahold of Rayquaza's energy, who knows what he could do!!"

Taking his hand, she painfully dragged her brother away from the Emma... The Emma that was so wrong. What had happened? How could Emma have turned into that... Beast, with eyes glowing too brightly, hair wildly tangled, floating about her face like she'd been struck by a tornado. Her hands raised to the sky as her throat made that horrible noise, that laugh that was not Emma's laugh at all...

"Jira, I can't see...!" She could not spare him a look. She was hurrying along too fast.

"You'll have to trust me, Deo! Just come!" He obliged, but she felt him beginning to slow down... The tiredness... And when he shut his eyes, the next time he opened them, he would be Deoxys, not Deo.

Frantic, she tried to speed up. "Deo, don't go. Please, don't go... Don't let him in, not yet, just a bit longer- Deo!"

He went limp, them being just past the outskirts of the town nearest to Littleroot. She could hear water swishing nearby...

No... He couldn't be... She leaned down as her fears were confirmed.

He lay there, moonlight almost avoiding his body entirely, his eyes closed, barely breathing.

It had begun once more.

* * *

_A/N: Wowsers, that chapter was WEIRD... I'm sorry if it's a bit confusing. If you've got any questions, ask me. I'm really bad at making sure everybody knows what I'm talking about! And I know the part with Deo and Emma is sappy... I promise I won't write anything too sappy (I can't write romance... TRUST ME!!) in the future. No kisses or anything, just they know they like each other (EWWW KISSY FACE!!!). Well, maybe not so much on Deo's part. Dude. Anyway, I'll have fun writing the next chapter... We get to see the evil!!! Yaaayyyy!!! Okay, so ask me if you've got any questions._

_CandyKins- Welcome to the gang!! Thanks for reading!!!_

_Parrot-san- Thank you for telling me!!! I'm sorry, it just sounds like "Jiranchi" when they say it in the movie and stuff, so I naturally assumed that's what it was without looking it up. I fixed it here, though!! Thank you!_

_Orangen-_ _Thank you for reviewing AGAIN!! You've really supported me. THanks!! Anyway, yep, I put down some stuff on the pokemon. I just had to act like Torchic was innocent and stuff, and Treecko was sarcastic. So stereotypical, but I mean, I couldn't have cute little Torchic be macho!! Anyway, thank you so much for everything!_

_Well, see you again soon!! Yep!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Augh. Stupid, stupid me! I'm sorry for the terribly long update time... And I'm sorry if the ending doesn't seem quite complete. It just finished itself; there was really nothing else for me to write! Ugh... Well, this chapter's sad. Very sad. And I believe even the ending isn't quite happy, either. I'll do responses up here, as I hate to ruin endings by my babbling._

_Orangen- Thanks. I'm really bad at that sort of stuff... Uhm.. Yeah. I liked writing Torchic, too. Torchic's fun to mess with, because it's darn cute! EEEEEEE, Torchic! I'm sorry if it was confusing. I really cannot go over my own work very well, and miss mistakes and problems with plots and scenes that I understand because I'm writing them, but nobody else does. Anyways, thank you! For lots of stuff! Thank you sooooo much for reviewing and supporting me throughout my story! It's really kept me going!_

_Parrot-san- It's okay: I got a late chapter posted (looking at calender, which I never flip the pages of, which still rests on February. GAAAHHHH, so long!). He's callling her a ditz because he believes she is one, until she gets distressed from her family's disappearance. It's because she's naturally hyper and crazy, and he's naturally sarcastic and cool. So he calls her that. Mostly just because he feels like it. Deo got possessed. Emma's... Er... Well, it's hard to describe. Hopefully I explained it better in this chapter. She's not in control of her body, so I guess the answer's yes. But Rayquaza hasn't possessed her, it's just that he's given her tons of power. ?? Does that explain it...? Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! _

_Ana- Well, here it is. I'm REALLYYYY sorry for the horridly long wait. I just couldn't get myself depressed enough to write the chapter, plus we have computer issues here at my house. Thank you for caring and reviewing!_

_Yes, it is the last chapter! WAAHHHH... But if you have any more questions at the end of it, I'll probably answer them in another chapter. It won't be a story chapter, just an explaining sort of thing. Is that legal on this site? Anyways, thank you so much for supporting me, everyone. I never would have written this without so much positive kindness and help! Please enjoy this chapter, and I apologize for the wait. And no, I really have no idea what "fin" means._

Emerald

8

He was angry. There was no doubt. That rage that filled him... That made him do this. He could hear the voices of those he used to care for chiding him.

_"Brother, hurting people is wrong!!" That light, childish voice._

_And the deeper, more commanding one. "Deoxys, my dear son..."_

It hurt, too. But not nearly as much as the burning desire that was overtaking him did.

Take Rayquaza's power.

Do that, and you can rule the universe. You can be regarded as a God of Pokemon once more. You won't have to be an outcast, a pokemon from outer space that is treated more like an animal than a pokemon. Mere Caterpies laughed at him...!

This boy... This boy he held a connection with since the boy was born long ago. Other God Pokemon treated their Lakine like their children, their equals. This boy, whom he still did not know the name of, was just a tool to him. A stairway that could lead to being a God. But he was tired, and getting up the millions of steps without help could not be done. Borrowing another God's power was forbidden; but then again, so was he.

He made the decision. The boy, his Likane, his personal way of taking Rayquaza's powers... How did he feel?

Angry?

No.

Sad?

Very.

Pity. Anger from his Likane would result in beating Rayquaza's Likane more soundly, assuring his power.

For the first time in a long time, he wondered why the boy felt the way he did. He had no sense of right and wrong. He had been raised by those soulless people, the ones who worshipped Deoxys, the followers of an outcast. They wanted his power, the power he would have once he stole Rayquaza's.

Ah. The boy liked Rayquaza's Blessed. How ironic. The two mortal enemies, always hating each other, were contrasted by their Likanes, the humans connected to their souls (and in Rayquaza's case, his heart as well), who instead loved one another.

If he had been able to, he would have laughed. Instead, his emotionless face, a shadow of what it had once been, turned to where the boy lay on the ground, in his sister's arms as she shook him, attempting to wake him, fighting the urge to cry. She had always been weak.

Hopefully, Jirachi would not interfere in this battle because of that. If Jirachi got involved, there was no telling what his brother would do. He had promised to kill Deoxys if he ever was "bad", but would he-could he?- actually do it? Deoxys seriously doubted it... But still.

_"Brother, you killed all those people and pokemon. Why?"_

_"They liked Rayquaza."_

_Jirachi's lower lip trembled. "That's not a good reason."_

_"They hate me, Jirachi. You're lucky. Nobody hates you, just because you're cute. Because you've got big eyes and a welcoming exterior. Because I don't look nice, they hate me. Because I can't smile, because I don't have any mouth."_

_"Oxy..." He murmured, his pet name for his older brother. "They'd like you if they saw who you were. Killing them is not going to help them see the real you."_

_"Maybe the murderer is really me."_

_"If that's so, brother, then I'll have to stop you."_

_"By doing what, kiddo?" He was giving Jirachi an affectionate glance, though anybody normal could never tell._

_"I'll kill you," he said cutely. "Because that's what I'm supposed to do."_

_"You've never killed anyone, Chi."_

_He frowned. "I know. But I'll have to do so with you. It's a promise, if you be bad."_

_"You mean that."_

_"Yep!"_

_"Then likewise to you, little brother. Likewise to you."_

But in that annoying prophecy, the one repeated by all the pokemon, all the time, chanted at him like words from the human's Bible, he did die.

Killed by his brother's hand. Or, to be more exact, "his" sister's hand. To protect Rayquaza, to protect the world. For all good, in the prophecy, Deoxys died.

Last time, when they had tried to kill him, they had made the simple mistake of letting his Likane live.

Funny. A Likane holds a certain amount of a God Pokemon's soul. Eventually, if left to live and prosper, that soul will regrow into the old one. His soul was almost there... But not quite. Several hundred more years, and it would all be there, back again, dark as ever. If he got Rayquaza's power, it would come back much faster.

This time, he was sure, Jirachi would not be so foolish as to let his brother grow back again. He'd kill him properly, if he did it at all. He'd kill both Deoxys and Deo.

He smirked. Jirachi would never do such a thing. Jirachi was a weakling, just like his Likane. She loved her brother, Deoxys' Likane, and to kill him would kill a part of her.

Not to mention that girl, that Emma child, the Blessed child of Rayquaza. Not a Likane, but a human picked out of all the rest to receive Rayquaza's soul and heart together. She was a lucky little brat. But such power might drive a human crazy.

He couldn't let her gain more power, or get rid of him. He'd have to kill her first.

Deoxys' thoughts stopped whirling as he fully descended into his Likane's body.

* * *

Deo's eyes opened slowly, and for a second, Jira felt hope. He didn't look crazy, or possessed, or anything.

But as he stared up at Jira, emotionless, eyes looking right at her soul, plotting and planning, she could tell this was not Deo at all.

He had not just taken over Deo's body. Deo was not fighting, here. Deo was practically gone. All this boy was was Deoxys.

She was filled with rage at first.

Deoxys, using her brother. HER brother, her precious family member, the only one left dear to her heart. He had no respect for Jira's love for her brother, for his well-being and his life. Deo was just an option he could use.

_"Don't hate him because he can't help himself."_ The tiny, terrified whisper filled not her ears, but her mind. _"He just wants to be what he used to be. He used to be a God, Jira. Now he's nothing, because Rayquaza hated him and exiled him to space. Rayquaza abused his power of authority, and brother payed for it. Can you imagine, Jira? Losing something that trademarked you. Losing the powers of a GOD. Losing the confidence of billions of people and pokemon, love transforming into hate. He can't even think straight anymore. He's bitter and resentful and can't help but want his power back. And his own brother is required by the other God pokemon to kill him. I understand why, and I want to do it, Jira, because I think it's best for him. He needs to stop suffering."_

A presence unlike ever before filled her mind.

_"Let me put him down. Let me kill him. Please. For his sake."_

It delighted and terrified her. Kill Deoxys and her brother would be free at last. Her Deo, the boy who had protected her and been her hero for all the years she had been alive. It was better than making him leave the planet, because it was getting rid of him FOREVER.

Yes, her mind said. Yes, do it, do it.

Jirachi heard.

_"This might hurt a little,_" he warned in the quiet voice of an all-knowing child.

And then Jira felt a glowing white.

* * *

In the temple of Rayquaza sat a woman with dark, plaited hair and green eyes. Her hands were clasped in front of her as she let out a desperate whisper, and it echoed through the empty chamber, reverberating until it disappeared into silence.

"I don't care what you must do, Rayquaza. But save her. Save my daughter. Put your power into her tonight, allow her to resist that of the evil Deoxys. Let his blows not harm her- let his attacks not pierce your everlasting protection. Let your heirloom, passed down through the generations, the necklace of your original child, Seliya, be her light and her guidance to you. Let your strength be hers alone, and not that of his."

The smell of ozone filled the air.

_'All you ask for will be done.'_

A hand rested on the woman's shoulder. Human.

"My daughter, he's already passed powers to her."

"What?"

"He sensed the coming of The Other, and therefore gave her some of his powers."

"Has he got her?!" Her green eyes flashed with a mother's worry.

"No, not yet."

"Has... Will he be killed tonight?"

"Yes. Jirachi's energy has grown; he's readying himself and his Likane to kill Deoxys." His voice was calm and soothing.

"Is Deoxys using his Likane?"

"Yes. He's completely taken over the boy's body." The older man slumped a little.

"Father, what's wrong?"

"Emma isn't going to be the same after tonight. Emma will never be the same ever again. She's hurt and devastated right now... The death of the boy she likes will only aggravate her more... She still thinks we're dead, and even after Deoxys is gone, we won't be able to go back to her. She's going to live most of her life believing that she's alone."

"My little girl. My little girl." The woman began rocking back and forth, hand over her mouth, suppressing her labored breaths. "Emma..."

* * *

Anyone watching the small Route that night would have been in for a surprise.

A girl, with black hair and wild green eyes, the ones that matched the glow surrounding her, who had just appeared in front of the other two. A boy, a look on his face that suggested murder of the worst kind and a shadow that stretched larger than the boy did. Another girl, blonde hair flowing and blue eyes filled with tears of a God pokemon.

Deo made the first move.

A sudden black ball of energy burst from his outstretched palm. Emma made no move to dodge, simply letting it hit her. The green glow faltered for only a second before coming back, as strong as ever.

The white light around Jira expanded as Deo stumbled back from an unseen blow; Psychic. But he continued on, sure as ever.

None of them had raged into a true battle yet- they were testing the limits, getting to know what their opponent would do. They tread carefully, and the silence of the world around them seemed to match their moods.

Then, Deo disappeared.

But only for a second. Emma was knocked back ten feet. She didn't cry out, didn't scream. There was only the motion of her hand, raised high above her head.

The lake beside them gave a resounding noise: low and ancient, as if responding to unspoken words. Waves upon waves smashed against the shore, rising higher and higher, until the ground no longer provided enough resistance. A wave fifty feet high, foaming and spraying, came crashing down; and Emma floated above water that covered the treetops.

A flashing of white gave way to Jira, rising above the surf. From behind Emma, there was a soundless ripple as Deo let loose another Shadowball, bigger than Emma herself. It smashed against the green light, battling for entrance. A dark shadow- him, underwater- made its way under her, waiting. Jira sprang into action. The clouds rumbled, and there was a clap of thunder as a lightning bolt hit the water.

It went through the water like fire upon grass. The shadow, trembling, broke the water's surface, electric dancing over its body. The Shadowball disappeared as Emma flew at Deo, landing a hit on his paralyzed body with dragon claws that weren't there. He was struck back, breathing hard, the water swirling beneath them as the green light grouped together at the front of Emma's head.

Fire lit the night, a glorious red and blue color, and when it faded away, Deo had already tumbled into the churning water.

Jira dove after him, white glow disappearing into the dark surf.

_'It's over. I'll do it now.'_

* * *

It was cool. Silence filled his ears, and he felt peace. The dark cover that usually overshadowed his heart was gone, and as he opened his eyes, the face of his sister swam before him, blue eyes upon his own, blond hair floating about her head, her salty tears merging into the water around them.

She wrapped him in a fierce hug, and suddenly he could hear a voice. Childish, yet with more sadness than any human could bear.

_'It's time to let him go, Jira.'_

She clutched at him tighter. '...What?' A silent whisper.

_'I have to kill him.'_

She froze, and behind her swaying mass of hair, he could see Emma's body descending into the deep as well.

'You didn't say-!'

_'I have to do it to get rid of Deoxys.'_

'He's my brother!'

_'As he is mine.'_ Water pounded in his ears. _'Rayquaza is watching. I must. Now.'_

'I won't let you, I won't let you, you can't do-'

Jira slumped against him, head pressing into his neck, burying deeper and deeper.

Deo looked up. Green eyes pierced him. She didn't recognize him, somehow. They were Rayquaza's eyes, not Emma's. Her head cocked, almost curiously, and then she gave a soft smile.

The water began to lower, and he heard the voice again.

_'The wish fulfilled, the challenge done. Happy voices, smiles for everyone. Bless the world with wishes, let them all come true. I will grant wishes, whatever I must do.'_ In the underwater world, it seemed to echo to the ends of the earth. _'Rayquaza, your wish of full death upon Deoxys will be done.'_

The head of his sister, pressed against his neck, gave a sharp jerk, the glow around her growing to a blinding white.

His eyelids grew heavy, chasing out the light.

And then they closed, never to open again.

* * *

Her feet touched the ground, the surf receding, as Jira stared blankly ahead of her.

_'Bye, Jira. I'm allowed to go to sleep now. Rayquaza will allow me to go free from this... Wish. And my personal promise to my brother is fulfilled. You might hear from me again. But I doubt it.'_ His voice softened. _'Your brother. He was... Always supposed to be this way. Born to die with Deoxys.'_

Silence.

_'I'm sorry.'_

She felt something leaving her; a part of her own self going in a different direction, then... Fading to a gentle memory.

Behind her, there was a whisper.

"Jira? Where are we?" A pause. "What's wrong with Deo? Why is he... Slumped over like that?"

She couldn't say it.

_'Because I killed him, Emma. Because I killed my only brother, my only light and hope in this world. My closest friend, the dearest person to my heart.'_

The light was gone from Emma, the only green about her in her eyes. She was standing in front of the two of them in a second, breathing hard, staring at Deo's body like it was some sort of mystery. An unbelievable trick.

"Is he..."

"Dead." Jira fell upon her knees, cradling his lifeless head in her arms, her eyes squeezed tight, breathing hard, wanting it to all be just a dream.

"...No. No. No, no, no." Her green eyes filled with tears. It wasn't possible... Nobody would curse her with all of this. It was her family's disappearance all over again...!

She too dropped upon her knees, reaching out one trembling hand to touch his face. It was cold, water dripping down from his limp hair, droplets running over her now numb hand.

"He's really, truly dead." Blue met green, and Jira unconsciously slipped her hand into Deo's dead one. "He was killed... No, we killed him... I-I killed him!"

"...What?"

"Emma, you and I. We did it. We killed him. You're... You've got powers just like I do! And with them we killed him... Jirachi and I, you and Rayquaza, so we could kill Deoxys!!" Her shoulders gave a shake. "Jirachi had to because Rayquaza wished for it to be so... That means that YOU!!"

Emma stumbled up from her kneeling position. "I didn't do anything! I just now found myself here; last I knew I was in my bed!!"

Jira just laid her head on top of her only brother's, and the tiny area was filled with silence except for breathing... Coming from two of them. And two only. That was what was so wrong.

"Please go. Both of us killed him. I would like to be alone with him. In fact, I..." Her voice gave a tremor. "I never want to see you again. Please leave. And when I'm gone in the morning, don't search for me. I'm going home."

"But he said you didn't want to go home!"

"I didn't. But I must, now. I can't bear... I just want to go home and die mentally, like my brother did physically. Anything to get rid of this pain!"

"No, Jira, you can't! We have to stay together... That way neither of us are alone..."

"You're not alone, Emma. You've got Professor Birch, and Brendan, and your family..."

"No, Jira, that's just it!! I don't!! My family is DEAD!"

It was the first time anyone had acknowledged that out loud. The two girls stared at each other, Jira suddenly aware that they were both soaking wet.

"Let's get you home, Emma. You'll catch something."

"Will you promise to stay?"

Silence met her question, and Jira refused to look at her.

"Help me carry him."

Emma's hands clutched at her pajamas, her eyes terrified. One tear rolled down her cheek- and then there were millions more.

Jira gently lay her brother's head on the ground, placing one hand on Emma's shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying. You have to be strong too, I'm just making it worse. But... Did I really kill him?! How is that possible?! I love him! He can't be dead! He just can't be-"

"I loved him, too. In a different way from you, perhaps. But I loved him so much." A dreary smile came to her face. "He always protected me and cared for me. And now..." She glanced down. "I will do the same for him in death. I need to give him a proper burial, so his soul... No, his spirit... Can be at peace." Jira wiped one hand across her eyes, rubbing away the last traces of tears.

Both girls put their shoulders under Deo's limp arms, and together began the painful journey back to Emma's home.

* * *

When Emma woke, the sun was shining brightly. The bird pokemon were singing, mocking her. The leaves on the tree outside her bedroom window glistened brightly, wet with dew.

The world was at peace. Rayquaza was happy. The God Pokemon were probably rejoicing at the death of Deoxys.

Emma had squeezed her eyes shut tight, but could not go back to sleep. She couldn't erase the memories that flooded her mind.

The first sight of Deo's face when he was dead. Jira's pain last night, when they returned home. When she laid Deo on the couch, then sat down beside him, stroking his face and whispering to herself.

Even Emma had not wanted to interrupt her. And she had been so, so tired. She had wanted to fall asleep and never wake up... No. No, she couldn't do that.

She thumped down the stairs, her hair a frizzy black mess around her face. "Jira?"

Her heart gave a painful wrench.

The couch was empty, the only traces of anyone a wet spot where Deo had been laying.

"Jira?" Panic rose in her. Still in her pajamas, she raced over to the Birch's house.

No, they hadn't seen her. Was she alright after that strange storm near Oldale town? It had missed their town, but they could hear the lightning and feel the humid air.

The whole time, Emma felt numb.

Jira was gone, she had gone home. She wasn't coming back. Never. She had probably taken Deo with her. They had never told her where they lived, exactly. Somewhere near Verdanturf town.

Professor Birch's wife looked worriedly at Emma from inside their house's doorway, where she had been talking to Emma.

"Honey, would you like to come inside? You look troubled. I'll fix you a nice cup of tea to clear your head."

"No. I have to go to Verdanturf town."

"Right now?"

"As fast as possible."

"But the fastest way to get there has been closed off by rocks... Hmmm..."

The cave. Where she had first met Jira and Deo. Her head pounded and Emma winced. Mrs. Birch gently put her hand to Emma's forehead.

"You're very cold. Come in, warm up. I'll get you a blanket."

"No! I need to go!"

The woman chuckled. "Is this for the pokemon challenge?"

Emma looked up at her, wide-eyed. Her dreams... Of becoming the champion of Hoenn. Those had been long forgotten since she returned home.

"Brendan is always talking about that, too. But you can't just run off. Prepare. The next Gym is in Dewford. Go there." She quieted. "...Your family wouldn't want you to stay here, suffering quietly while waiting for them. They'd want you to find your dreams, make them come true. I think it's good that you want to leave."

Emma's whole world felt shattered. The dream of becoming the Champion was so... SMALL now... So insignificant, compared to finding Jira and Deo's... grave. But it was true.

Her family would want her to become the Champion. Fulfill her childhood dream, make everything okay again. Yes. Childhood. An innocent Emma had that dream, one who was not a murderer of the person she loved. Someone who did not feel connected with Rayquaza. And on that count, Emma still didn't have all the answers. But she would get them, somehow. Jira knew things, and if she found Jira...

Everything would be okay if she just stuck with her original plan from long ago. It would give her an excuse to travel with her pokemon, to search rock crevices, plains, mountains, and other places for Jira's family and connections. She'd find them. She'd find Deo, and she'd find answers.

Emma looked up at Mrs. Birch. "Yes... I think I'll go there."

Mrs. Birch smiled.

"And then I'll become the Champion!"

Emma smiled back. It was a quiet, lonely, slightly scared smile... But a smile all the same.

Her search in Verdanturf had been fruitless. Apparently, nobody named Jira or Deo had ever lived there. So she continued her pokemon journey, searching for them. Beating Gym Leaders. Getting interviewed by millions of reporters, all proclaiming her to be an amazing pokemon trainer with a clear mind and wonderful tactics. At such a young age.

In fact, she was headed to Sootopolis to beat Wallace, the Ice and Water Gym Leader. And that's where she met Latia, a mute girl with red hair and amber eyes.

Emma's adventure was never going to be over. She'd find Jira some day. She'd find Deo's grave and pay the proper respects. Her family, if they were alive, would return. She'd be the Champion. She would find out what her connection to Rayquaza could do. Someday, too, when she died like all humans did, she'd be with Deo. Forever. And they'd be together where death was something that didn't happen, where spirits lived beyond the end of time, thriving.

Emma's life had purpose. She could shape it however she wanted. She could do whatever she pleased. Everything would be all right someday, she had faith that it would.

* * *

Rayquaza sighed, and the clouds rolled, the white spreading between them as their shared their steady supply. Wind fanned the green God Pokemon.

_'My precious child. For the first time in many generations, she is happy.'_

**_Fin_**


End file.
